Power Players in Climate, Energy and Sustainability

In April 2021, Doreen M. Harris became president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), after serving as acting president and CEO since June 2020. Ms. Harris has held public and private sector leadership roles advancing clean energy projects and engineering companies for over 20 years. At NYSERDA, she’s held executive, technical, and policy positions and has overseen the State’s implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

What does sustainability mean to you?
It means diligently implementing strategic climate actions now to secure a healthier, affordable, and stable green future for generations to come. Our future depends on establishing a zero-emission grid, primarily from clean energy resources, like onshore wind, offshore wind, solar, and other technologies. These efforts will then allow for electrification and energy efficiency efforts in our homes and buildings and cars and trucks – which will ensure a more resilient and reliable energy system overall. 

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
New York’s nation-leading Climate Act, passed in 2019, is guiding our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York – and all of the work that NYSERDA does supports this. NYSERDA’s work is well underway today and continues ahead, across key sectors such as large-scale renewable energy, community solar, energy storage, transmission and grid, buildings, transportation, industry, innovation, workforce development and everything in between.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
It’s important to understand climate change and become knowledgeable about the steps needed to address it. Research is key, followed by action. Each person can reduce their carbon footprint by making small, but meaningful changes. Turn lights off in your home when they’re not needed. Walk or bike more to get from place to place, instead of driving a car. Weatherize your home to increase energy efficiency. Small changes add up and make a difference.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Climate change can’t be fought alone. In addition to the substantial work NYSERDA is doing to carry out its mission and support the Climate Act, the Authority is committed to advancing private-public partnerships. Collaboration is essential – and a holistic approach to executing a green transition is how we’ll succeed. NYSERDA has many, many partners – from utilities to offshore wind developers, supply chain manufacturers to labor and businesses – we’re all in this together.

Julie Janiski leads integrated teams of consultants, designers, and subject-matter experts for projects in the built environment. With a systems-thinking approach, she develops strategies that contribute to solving some of our biggest problems Including natural resource scarcity and human health and wellbeing. Her recent work includes The House at Cornell Tech – a LEED Platinum Passive House high-rise, U.S. State Department Embassy projects internationally, and many zero-carbon and all-electric (ready) projects in cold climates. 

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability for some time has used the 1987 Brundtland Commission definition, and I think we can do better than not comprising the planet’s abundance for future generations. Instead, let sustainability stand for a net-positive, giving back, and regenerative mindset that enhances health, restores biodiversity, and activates a shift in our collective awareness – to see that opportunity and responsibility are part of the same feedback loop.  And let’s celebrate those opportunities!  

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?  
Now is the time to do everything we can to decarbonize the built environment, a significant contributor to GHG emissions and climate change. Our work Includes Science Based Targets (SBTi) for our own operations, a commitment to knowledge sharing – like our all-electric feasibility study and heavy timber study, and enabling our clients to make strides toward carbon reductions In their policy, plans, projects and portfolios.  

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?  
Some of the biggest shifts around climate action needed are In our utilities and manufacturing. In our individual roles as renters, homeowners, employees, and employers, we have buying power to drive the market and show demand for more environmentally sustainable solutions like clean energy options, less plastic, less shipping, and less consumerism like fast-fashion. 

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Our interdisciplinary sustainability consultants bring together industry-leading expertise in building performance, climate resilience, social value, circular economy, and advanced analysis. Buro Happold curates teams of subject matter experts – from policy and planning to design and engineering – to support clients’ goals from a holistic perspective, drawing on deep experience to advocate for resilient, efficient, and effective strategies. Maintaining this outlook and track record allows us to continue to do all we can toward a sustainable future. 

Zackary joined GT’s Environmental and Government Law & Policy practices in 2019 after serving as a top legal staffer to then Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Zackary’s law and lobbying practices cover all aspects of energy and environmental law and policy, including complex federal and state environmental reviews and permitting, advising companies on New York’s clean energy transition, brownfield redevelopment, litigating high-profile environmental and energy cases, and representing clients in regulatory matters before New York agencies.

What does sustainability mean to you?
For me, it means planning a world where my two kids, Quinn and Otto, can live happy, healthy, and productive lives.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
Climate change is a global issue, but policy and law are made at the local level. Hands down, the transition to a clean energy economy is the biggest challenge New York faces today. It is changing how we think of everything from power plants to package recycling. Helping companies and people successfully navigate that transition is one of the hardest and most satisfying parts of my job.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
The personal is political, so vote in national, state, and local elections, and make mindful choices about how you live.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Greenberg Traurig is a global law firm, and its offices are net carbon neutral with respect to the firm’s worldwide office energy usage, and are 100% powered by renewable energy. We’re really proud of our global and local impact, and as a legal services provider, that sustainability initiative benefits our clients’ supply chains too.

Cortney Koenig Worrall currently serves as the president and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance. Ms. Koenig Worral brings her expertise in climate resilience policy, campaign planning, community outreach, and public participation processes to this role. Prior to her role with the Waterfront Alliance, Ms. Koenig Worral led the National Parks Conservation Association’s northeast office. Ms. Koenig Worral earned her B.A. in environmental policy from Mount Holyoke College and her MPA in advanced management from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Mary Beth Mandanas currently serves as the chief executive officer of Onyx. In this role, Ms. Mandanas empowers the Onyx team and guides the organization as it provides clean energy solutions to customers. Additionally, Ms. Mandanas currently serves as independent director and audit chair for TortoiseEcofin Acquisition Corp. III  and as independent director and chair of the nominating and governance committee for Energy Vault. Ms. Mandanas earned her B.S.from the University of South Carolina and M.B.A from Vanderbilt University.

John joined Urban Green Council in 2018 as its first-ever CEO, capping a 25-year career as Chief Sustainability Officer for United Technologies Corporation. He’s an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business and served as a visiting scientist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health. John is the founding chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the World Green Building Council and a former board chair of Urban Green.

David Marks is the head of government relations and public affairs for Equinor Renewables US and leads all communications, state government relations, and stakeholder management for Equinor’s US offshore wind energy business. He has spent nearly two decades in the energy industry. Previously, Marks was a veteran of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. where he served as an aide to Senator Jeff Bingaman, former chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Equinor has been in the offshore wind business for more than a decade and saw an opportunity to use what we know – offshore energy expertise and combine this with our goals of low carbon. Offshore wind will be an important component to our global renewable strategy and will be a key driver to reach our net-zero targets by 2050. This was a natural fit for our company, our climate targets, and our business model.

As president of The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), Sadie McKeown leads the development and implementation of CPC’s growth strategy and oversees the company’s construction lending, equity and impact investing platforms, and numerous initiatives. These initiatives include the ACCESS fund to strengthen and support black and brown real estate entrepreneurs, and CPC’s innovative sustainability platform which is focused on driving high-performance, resilient, healthier multifamily housing and creating economic opportunity in disadvantaged communities.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability as it relates to housing means that a project is affordable for residents, construction is high performance providing deep efficiency which furthers affordability and provides healthy air quality, resilient to storms and emits little or no greenhouse gas on site by drawing its energy from renewable sources. It is housing that can serve generations of families and have as little impact on the planet as possible. Sustainability requires consideration and intention.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
Buildings are huge emitters of greenhouse gas. We’re focused on decarbonizing multifamily properties in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods where populations are negatively affected by climate change and environmental injustice. Ensuring low-income and affordable housing doesn’t remain on dirty fuels is critical, and investing now is key to an equitable clean-energy transition. CPC attacks this with our products and the Climate Friendly Homes Fund; $250M in 0% loans to electrify 10,000 units in small, affordable properties.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Don’t wait for someone to tell you how to do it. Look at your work regardless of what you do, and ask if it’s negatively impacting the environment. If your answer is yes, figure out how to reverse that impact, and change your products and processes and the way you think about your work. It isn’t one thing, it’s everything. Think about everything that you do and be intentional about changing the outcome.  

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
In addition to financing affordable, sustainable housing and supporting the city and state’s decarbonization goals, CPC is a Carbon Neutral company with a goal to support the clean energy transition. We walk the walk and talk the talk.  We educate on the impacts of climate change, advocate for resources supporting a just transition, and innovate products and programs that incorporate sustainability. Then we invest our capital in support of our mission and goals.

Sophia Mendelsohn is the chief sustainability officer and global head of environmental social governance (ESG) for Cognizant, one of the world’s leading professional services companies. Sophia leads the integration of ESG into the company’s thinking, decisions and actions. Prior to joining Cognizant, Sophia was the first chief sustainability officer at JetBlue Airways. Sophia speaks Mandarin Chinese, serves on boards and advisory councils and holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Management from Columbia University.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability is when free-market solutions work in concert with government policies and regulations, allowing companies to roll out — at scale – solutions that will profitability transition the global economy to a low-carbon, circular economy. 

Is there one major climate issues your organization is looking to tackle
Cognizant views climate issues through the lens of our clients’ expectations and our associates’ needs. For our clients, we know that combatting climate change requires digital transformation; as digital transformation experts, we must lead our clients in this space. And for our associates, we will continue to build the workforce of tomorrow by equipping our employees with in-demand climate knowledge and skills.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Every job in the future will be a climate-related job. To ensure you are relevant, everyone should take advantage of available skilling opportunities to become climate competent because climate-competent workforces will drive the adoption of sustainable practices.

Dawn is senior advisor to NYC’s chief climate officer, supporting the City’s climate and resiliency teams out of City Hall.  Previously, she was VP for policy and partnerships at Coord, a street space technology startup.  She has served as chief of staff at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission and as a researcher at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC. She lives with her family in Brooklyn and loves parks, bikes, beaches, and group fitness.